


Rhythm of Your Heart

by TheMaskedViola



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, In which Caleb is a TA and Fjord manages a band, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Suggestive language, Tags will be added, caleb has synesthesia, i don't even know my dudes, like a good medium burn, magic is music ability kind of, rating will be adjusted, smut in later chapters, some homophobic language, the college rock band au literally no one asked for, they/them Mollymauk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-18 11:33:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13680840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMaskedViola/pseuds/TheMaskedViola
Summary: Caleb has lived most of his life alone. Will an extremely handsome man with ten layers of mystery along with a rowdy band of misfits come to change that?





	1. Prelude

**Author's Note:**

> Synesthesia - the production of a sense impression relating to one sense or part of the body by stimulation of another sense or part of the body.

Gods, did Caleb wish it wasn't winter. The ginger-haired man cursed under his breath, causing more fog to cloud the windshield he was currently trying to look out of. The old Buick had lost heat years ago, and it was a miracle in any case that it could still drive. If you called what it did driving, that is.

  
But, he had reasoned, it was better than nothing, and he couldn't rely on public transportation to get him to Soltrice Academy on time everyday.

  
This was his first semester as a teaching assistant, and there was nothing more relieving than when they had accepted him for the job. He wore a brave face on the outside but the past few years had not been kind to him; it was a wonder he made his rent payments at all, let alone on time. It had been quite a few months since he had a real meal too, and it showed on his lanky, skinny frame.

  
As he pulled into the parking lot at the school, wheels groaning loudly at the turn, his stomach also hurried to get a word in. Breakfast. Right. He had forgotten this morning. He thought maybe he could grab a stale bagel or granola bar from the staff room before darting off to the main building. Though with his luck, he'd be grateful to find a pack of oyster crackers.

  
Luck and time seemed to favor him today, however, as he found someone had brought in a big pack of donuts for the first day back. He was busy stuffing his face with the second sticky pastry when he rushed into the classroom, headfirst into another person.

  
"Ach, entshuldigung." He reflexively said, stepping back to scan the person he had just collided with only to feel his mouth go dry.

  
In front of him was a tall and very handsome orcish looking man wearing a leather jacket and sporting two of the most sparkling yellow eyes Caleb had ever seen.

  
"My sincerest apologies, I had no idea anyone would be here yet." The human man could feel his pale skin turn red under the freckles dotting his cheeks as he awkwardly tried to mend his mistake.

  
However, if the man in front of him felt at all slighted, he did an amazing job of hiding it.

  
"Hey, it's alright, not your fault at all. I was actually looking for Professor Wilde. That wouldn't happen to be you, now would it?"

  
Caleb was mildly surprised by the accent that dripped from the man's tone, smoky and low, and for a moment he became so wrapped up that he almost forgot to respond.

  
"Oh, no. Sorry. I'm not Professor Wilde, but he will be here shortly." Hopefully, Caleb added subconsciously.

  
The stout dwarven man who taught Intermediate Music Theory was quite eccentric to say the least, and ran his own type of schedule. The kind where he would respond to emails at 3 am or immediately after they had been sent and nowhere in between. Caleb hoped that he would most likely show up on time for the first day of class, but he'd hardly be surprised if not.

  
"Ah, that's a shame. Had a few questions for him. Guess they'll have to wait until after class," There was a pause as the taller orcish man looked at him in what Caleb could only hope was appreciation, "I'm Fjord, though. I'm guessing you're taking this class too?"

  
"Ah, no. I'm his uh, teaching assistant. I'm Caleb."

  
"Well it's quite nice to meet you, Caleb." He gave a dazzling smile, tips of sharp white teeth glinting between his lips.

  
Caleb began to open his mouth to say something again, but was immediately interrupted by a stream of students walking in the classroom. One student in particular recognized him, and her face lit up as she saw the ginger-haired man.

  
"Oh, Caleb! You're here!" The little goblin, Nott, ran up to the human man, smile just evident by the wrinkle of her eyes as her mouth was always obscured by a heavy woolen scarf.

  
"Nott! So good to see you. I didn't know you were taking this class." He smiled, crouching down to talk to the shorter girl.

  
"Well, I figured, right, since you were so smart and talented, that maybe if I took this class, I could become as smart and as talented as you one day, maybe!" Her wide yellow eyes scanned the large classroom as she took everything in.

  
"Well, Nott, that's nice of you to say. I'll try to live up to expectation, I suppose." He gave a nervous smile, self-doubt finally gripping his heart like a vice as the goblin skipped over to a desk and took a seat.

  
Caleb followed the lead of everyone and sat at the desk where he assumed he would sit, next to the professor's.

  
Professor Wilde, who nonchalantly walked in, nearly five minutes late, with a large mug of coffee and a stack of unorganized papers that even from the distance Caleb was sitting, he could tell they were coffee stained. With the way the dwarven man splayed them on the desk, Caleb could finally feel the insurmountable weight of the semester rest on his shoulders.


	2. Avalanche

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Caleb gets caught in the act

Caleb found that as the semester progressed, he taught the class a lot more often than Professor Wilde did. This somewhat frustrated him, but he had to admit there was something nice about looking out amongst a small crowd of interested students and finding the eyes of Nott, ever eager to learn, and occasionally, Fjord as well. The larger man never seemed to take notes, instead just focusing on what was being said. He usually looked somewhat.... amused. Caleb would almost think he was slacking off in class if he hadn't seen the scores he made on his tests. The near perfect grades added yet another layer of mystery to the enigma that was Fjord. In the sparse amount of times they had talked, he found the student was very interested in music as a career, but knew near nothing of his personal life. Though not sure of why, the man was almost let down at this fact.

  
It was nearly halfway through the semester when Caleb had shown up to an empty classroom, nearly ten minutes late. His anxiety quickly amplified to panic as he wondered if Wilde had moved their meeting room to another class. However, checking his email caused him to emit a sigh of relief, laced with just slight frustration. Apparently at 7 am, a mere 3 hours beforehand, the professor had released an email stating class had been cancelled for the day for a rather obscure reason. The human cursed in his mother tongue, now resigned to wandering the halls as he tried to waste time. After all, the longer he could avoid going back to his tiny apartment and living in reality the better.

  
In his blind adventuring, he stumbled across a room he had been in a few times before. It was a small room filled with a few different instruments, more like a storage closet than anything else. He had hated the acoustics when he had snuck in here before to play, but when you're dodging a college's security without a school ID, you can barely be picky.

  
He stepped in now, much more confident as he sat at the piano that was aged and covered in a thin coat of dust. It wasn't the prettiest intrument, nor was it in tune, but he didn't much care. Carefully, Caleb started to tune it, the notes and chords raising and lowering until they hit the right order of sounds in his mind. Finally as they came together, he reached for the aged piece of music still left behind. It was a more advanced piece for piano, but he read through the notes, taking it all into his mind before setting it up again.

  
And then, like when he read his books, Caleb let himself go. The notes played out in the small room painting the air with a lovely rainbow of colors, and he shut his eyes to truly enjoy the feeling of vibrations that travelled up his fingertips to his spine, sparks of reds and pinks and yellows turning purple and blue with the minor keys he played. It was only until he was nearly through with the piece that he heard a shuffling at the door next to him.

  
Heart skipping, his left pinky accidentally found a wrong note. Where his mind once was painted with the rainbow now filled with grey and he opened his eyes, gasping, to find out who the intruder was.

  
The familiar green and blue skin reassured him of the stranger immediately. Fjord. The orcish man was leaning against the doorframe of the room, arms crossed and smile playing on his lips. Carefully, as he had Caleb's attention now, he began to clap.

  
"I didn't know you could play so well. That was.. Liszt, right? Liesbestraume?" There was an eagerness behind his smile that surprised Caleb but made him delighted it was aimed towards him.

  
"I... Liszt. Yes, yes." In truth, he hadn't looked much at the piece in depth other than the notes. The name sounded familiar, though.

  
"It was incredible. Apologies for interrupting. Guess I didn't get the memo about class early enough." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, finally moving inside the room fully.

  
"Oh, yes. Me neither. You know Professor Wilde. Goes by his own schedule." There was a part of him that felt somewhat frightened, having been caught playing. However, the other part of him was preening under the fond attention he was getting. Which left him in an awkward middle, unsure if he should keep playing or run away.

  
As if sensing his internal turmoil, Fjord spoke up again, "Please, carry on, it sounded lovely."  
Caleb paused, suddenly nervous in front of an audience.

  
"I- well, I..." His fingers twitched slightly towards the keys as his mind reeled in fear, the calm words from Fjord finally winning him over.

  
The man let out a small 'okay' before returning to his posture. He picked up where he had left off, fingers finding the right notes once again. The song itself wasn't terribly long, as he neared the end. Yet, as the last note rang out, he was surprised time had passed as easily as it did.

  
Caleb looked up again, blinking almost owlishly at a grinning Fjord who clapped once more in praise.

  
"Incredible. Where did you learn how to play like that?" The half-orc leaned against the wall, no longer hiding his eagerness and excitement.

  
It had been a while since anyone looked at Caleb like that. He had to admit it felt incredible.

  
"Well, for the most part, I'm self taught. I can read the music, and it just clicks in my head."

  
Fjord nodded, mesmerized. "Well, I thank you very much for playing for me. I'll let you get back to it, but I hope I'll get to hear you again sometime." He gave a polite smile before ducking out of the room, leaving Caleb alone in the silent room with his thoughts once again.


	3. Little Lion Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: Violence and Homophobic language in this chapter

 

Caleb was neither surprised nor delighted to see the large stack of papers gathered on his desk with the simple instruction of 'needs grading'. It was going to be a long day, he thought to himself, trying to ignore the protests coming from his still empty stomach. He had completely zoned out the world as class ended and the last of the students filtered out of the room, leaving him to his work. His concentration was only disrupted when a plastic bag was placed in the middle of his desk. Confused, Caleb looked up at the orcish man who was standing in front of him with another bag in his hands.

  
"You seemed in need of some good company and better food." The smell of real food wafting into Caleb's nose made his mouth physically water.

  
"That's.. very kind of you. I needed a moment away from these papers anyways," He admits hesitantly, gesturing to a nearby chair for Fjord to sit.

  
Opening the white styrofoam containers revealed a sandwich with soup on the side, causing him to restrain himself from swallowing the entire meal whole.

  
"Can't believe he's making you grade all of these papers right now." Fjord muttered behind a fist as he ate his food.

  
Caleb just shrugged, "Why do you think he can't keep a TA? It's not all bad though. Some of the answers on this quiz are amazing," Subtly, he spoke again to ask a question on his mind that he needed to know the answer to, "You, in particular, have nearly perfect grades every test. Yet, I've never seen you take any notes."

  
Fjord visibly stiffened, obviously caught off guard by the question. "I've been told I'm a very good listener."

  
It was a lie, but Caleb decided to overlook it, both lapsing into a comfortable silence as they finished their food. As the meal drew to a close, Fjord finally spoke up again.

  
"So, I was wondering. There's this little venue I know of and a band I know is playing there this Friday. I was just wondering if maybe you'd want to... go there? With me, I mean."

  
Caleb could almost tell the faintest red on the man's cheeks which shocked him into silence. Half of him said he should step away from this situation. Not only was it unprofessional to meet a student outside of class like this, whatever this was, but he also felt an almost reflexive fear take hold over his body. The other half that was yelling for human interaction and possible affection was significantly louder.

  
"I- Friday? I suppose I could use a break. Sure, yeah. That sounds perfect." He blushed a little under the excited way Fjord looked at him.

  
A lovely smile split the orcish man's features, "That's wonderful, um- I can message you the details. What's your number?" He reached for his phone.

  
Caleb watched as Fjord input the numbers he told him, heart barely containing the new excitement that he felt. This was a date right? Was it? Shouldn't he have said no? Should he feel regret right now? He pushed the thoughts aside as Fjord stood up, grabbing their empty containers and trash and throwing it away.

  
"I'll see you Friday, then." The larger man smiled, waving as he walked out of the classroom once again, leaving Caleb to his overexcited thoughts.

  
It wasn't until later that night that Caleb had gotten a message from Fjord, a short one telling him what the name of the venue was, where it was, and when to be there. Still the simple message on an otherwise blank screen made him smile.

  
He'd heard of the Nestled Nook, a small cafe style venue near downtown. It had been a while since he had been to a concert. It had been a while since he had had any reason to. He thought about what he would wear as he cleaned the dishes that night.

* * *

 

_It was hard to see out of his left eye from the muddy water flowing into it. He looked up, wordlessly pleading for help that would never come as hit after hit left him sobbing and curling into himself._

  
_He had wondered why the handsome, yet surely straight boy had asked him to meet him in the back hallway before the recital, but he showed up anyways. He didn't see the three others before they dragged him out the back doors. The words cut deeper than the knuckles that tore his skin._

  
_"Fag"_  
_"Dirty"_  
_"Worthless"_

  
_The ringing echoed in his mind even as they left him bleeding out back in the alleyway, the new suit he had worked for weeks to buy now muddy and torn._

 

 

The rain pounded against the windows as Caleb sat up this time, wetness still leaving tracks on his cheeks. These dreams were becoming more common ever closer to Friday it became. He wrestled with himself each time on whether or not he would call and cancel on Fjord. However, this time he placed his phone back on the night stand, instead trying to calm himself down.

  
There was a soft bumping next to his arm; the adventurous cat he shared the apartment with butting his head against Caleb's arm in comfort.

  
Softly, Caleb reached out, petting the orange feline, "Hello, Frumpkin. Did I wake you? I'm awfully sorry." The cat closed its eyes, lavishing in the attention the human was showing it.

  
Caleb sighed, knowing the pet didn't understand him, got up out of bed, and began to get ready for the day.

 

Friday had come a lot quicker than Caleb had expected, he realized while standing nervously in front of the mirror in his room. Now three hours before he had to be at the venue, he was panicking. What would he even wear? what were you supposed to wear on something like this? The human began pacing, arguing in his mind still if it was a date at all or if Fjord was even gay. He groaned aloud, walking back in to his closet to tackle the impossible questions that rattled in his mind.


	4. Talk Too Much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb meets some new friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> every person leaving comments is precious and know I love you and you're motivating me to write more I hope you know <3
> 
> also idk if anyone's noticed but each chapter is a song title, because apparently there needed to be more cliches right?

It turned out the Nestled Nook was a lot different than what Caleb had assumed. Sure it was a cafe style venue, but there were quite a few more people than an average cafe; all somewhat a younger crowd. He passed by a rowdy group of partygoers that were each holding a colorful drink in their hands as he made it to the bar, the beacon of safety in an otherwise sea of motion.

  
Though, the bartender looked almost offended that the human ordered simply a beer before flirting down to the rest of the patrons. It did wonders for Caleb's self-confidence.

  
As he stood there, waiting patiently for Fjord, he felt the brush of another person sitting in the stool next to him. Slowly, Caleb turned his head to look only to be met with the appearance of a rather.... extraordinary being. The lilac tiefling that was lounging in a relaxed position on the stool stared at him with burning red eyes and a devil-like smile on their face. A bright assortment of greens and blues was taking up residence on the side of their neck, dipping lower underneath the hem of a deep V cut top that was so gaudy and sheer, Caleb was sure it had been advertised as lingerie at one point. The patron wore a pair of tight leather pants as well, with their legs crossed and showing off how it made the curve of their ass look. The most noticeable feature, however, were the black painted lips that split into that up-to-no-good grin and showed off sharp, gleaming teeth.

  
"It's been a while since I've seen a new face around here, darling." Their voice was sultry, yet playful, voice tinged with a northern accent.

  
Caleb paused for a moment, taken aback. "I uh... I'm waiting for a friend, actually."

  
The piercing red eyes lit up as their nimble frame moved slightly closer. They placed a hand over Caleb's just briefly before leaving him dumbfounded as they picked up his drink and took a sip, humming. 

"I've been told I'm quite friendly." There was a wink that followed their words.

  
Caleb felt his mouth go dry for a moment, the stranger both irritating and interesting him, before another voice came from his side.

  
"Ah, Caleb! There you are." A familiar face parted from the crowd as Fjord finally made his way through the bar.

  
The larger man walked up, placing a hand on the ginger's shoulder, "Sorry it took me so long, had to get the band to relearn their manners."

  
Caleb's mind was screaming internally at the fact there was still a grinning tiefling holding onto his beer, leaning in like a cat playing with a mouse.

  
"- I see I forgot one. Well, then you've already met Mollymauk." Fjord sounded resigned, turning his attention to the tiefling Caleb assumed was 'Mollymauk'.

  
They pursed their lips, almost disappointed by how their game ended.

  
"Just seeing if he could pass my test. Also, it's Molly to my friends. We are friends now aren't we?" There was a glimmer of mischief in their eyes as they got up and disappeared into the crowd.

  
Caleb watched, still thoroughly confused. Fjord just let out a small laugh.

  
"That's Molly. They're quite.... bold."

  
The man nodded slowly, bold was definitely a word one could use when discussing Molly, he figured.

  
"I see," Caleb said, belatedly realizing Molly had completely taken his beer when they had disappeared into the crowd.

  
Fjord smiled a little, "I promise, everyone is pretty much just as odd, but they're extremely excited to see you." He guided Caleb politely with his arm, walking the nervous human backstage to a small alleyway.

  
Immediately, lights became too bright, the sound of his own heartbeat pounding in his ears as he tended and waited for the spring. But even as Fjord opened the door to a decently lit back room where a group of people were laughing and chatting, he almost felt the entire weight on his chest dissipate. Caleb looked up at Fjord, a hopeful smile on his face as he looked back, and the ginger felt himself smile as well.

  
The first person to notice him was an excitable blue tiefling who gasped as she skipped up to them.

  
"Ah! You must be Caleb! Fjord has told us all about you, you know." She had a wide smile, extremely sunny and innocent. Her horns were a deep blue, curling around and decorated with a single black ribbon tied into a bow. She wore a cute sundress dress that hit just past her lace clad thighs and sparkly costume jewelry on her fingers.

  
"I am Jester! I'm sure Fjord has told you all about me, since I am his favorite." The last part she spoke in a stage whisper, leaning in and giving a conspiring look at the human who couldn't help but almost chuckle at her antics.

  
"Jester, of course, right! You're Jester." Caleb was never great at improvising, never very good at talking to people in general.

  
She gave a slack smile before narrowing her eyes at Fjord and poking him with a slender finger, "You didn't tell him about me?" She shrugged off the vexed expression, smiling eagerly again at Caleb, "Thats fine, I'll just have to show you myself how awesome I am."

  
Fjord cleared his throat, gaining Caleb's attention, "Let me introduce you to everyone."

  
One by one, Fjord gave a brief introduction of everyone in the band that apparently still had no name, but elected to be called A Work In Progress while they figured it out. There was Molly, which Caleb had met. They were an extremely theatrical vocalist. There was Jester, the very energetic guitarist. Beau, the very chill bassist who always seemed to smell faintly of weed. Yasha, the stoic, quiet, and all around insanely menacing drummer who Caleb nearly feared being beat to death with a drumstick when he pronounced her name wrong the first time. The last face of the band was a very familiar one, who bounded up to see him as Fjord was about to introduce her.

  
"Caleb! It's me! When Fjord said you were going to meet us, I was very excited! I wanted to tell you, but everyone said it should be a surprise, so surprise!"

  
"Nott, it's so good to see you!" The human began to ruffle the little goblin's hair as he greeted her.

  
"Nott is our tambourine player. I think she is the most important part of the group's sound." Jester smiled proudly at the smaller girl, and though Caleb had his doubts about her at first, her voice was sincere and kind. Maybe he had been wrong assuming she was completely air-headed a few minutes ago.

  
This time Beau spoke up from where she was leaning back in her chair, arms crossed, "So, Fjord tells us you're quite the pianist. It would be real nice to see you play."

  
Fjord cut in, "Hold on now, I didn't want to ask Caleb to play for you tonight. This is his break, and if he doesn't want to play he doesn't have to."

  
Caleb was touched that Fjord would speak up for him, but he felt somewhat... comfortable for one of the first times around a group like this.

  
"Oh, it is fine. I wouldn't mind playing something for you all," His response was met with a pleased look from Beau who got up and gestured to the keyboard that rested behind her.

  
The man walked up, carefully setting down and turning on the older keyboard before briefly warming up. He remembered the notes from the pages he had read the day he had played for Fjord. The photographic memory coming back to him very clear, and for a moment he let himself drift back to that sweet feeling he had had as Fjord watched him then. And then he began to play. The world faded away into a series of colors and feelings, the stage fright he may have felt at one time evaporating as he heard small murmurs of approval from the room around him. As he came to the end of the piece once again, Caleb turned around to look at the room full of people who were excitedly clapping. Even Yasha had an impressed look on her face from where she sat. However, it was Fjord who took his breath away. The expression he wore was pure adoration, and Caleb felt the last of his walls crumble realizing he felt accepted here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone was wondering, the top Molly was wearing is this:
> 
> https://www.ohlalacheri.com/store/lingerie/nicolette-lace-and-satin-teddy


	5. 5 Minutes Till Midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now the real date begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bit of a shorter one today

Fjord and Caleb made their way out to the seats in the club, ordering their food as they waited for A Work In Progress to start the show.

  
"So how did you meet the band, anyways?" Caleb asked, chewing through a bite of his dish.

  
Fjord hummed, "Well I've known Jester for a little bit. We met before I was accepted to the Academy." He drank a big sip of a dark beer that Caleb thought was called Baumbach.

  
"She's a sweet pea, like the little sister I never had really. She's got a mouth that rustles some feathers. Luckily enough, she has the brawn to back it up as well."

  
Caleb nodded in understanding, about to say something more when the band made their way on stage. Many in the crowd sitting closer to the stage were excitedly clapping or whistling as they set up and checked the sound one last time.

  
Caleb watched them for a moment, observing how all of their personal styles meshed together when they got on stage. The music turned out to be more indie soft rock than anything, but there was an element that really made them... work. Sometime during the night, after the band had finished and met up with them again, Caleb realized he felt more relaxed and happy than he had in a while. Which was why when their time together drew to a close and they both walked out of the venue, he felt a sense of dread pit into his stomach.

  
"This has been a lovely night, Fjord." Caleb smiled, looking up at him.

  
Fjord nodded, "I've wanted to ask you to go out with me for a long time now. I'm glad I finally did," The orcish man's face split into a smile, "Would it be too forward of me to kiss you?" He asked the question sheepishly, nervous eyes glancing at the human.

  
Caleb felt the air get knocked out of him at the question, an excited buzzing in his mind forming, "Possibly, but please do anyways."

  
Fjord's lips were soft as they met his, sending small sparks down his spine to where large hands held around his hips. The kiss lasted far too short, yet he felt such a glow after they parted. Fjord looked at Caleb in that way he did: the adoring stare he'd come to love.

  
"I've been wanting to do that for a long time too." The taller man near whispered as he leaned in again, allowing Caleb to kiss him once more.

  
"Awwwww, look at the two lovebirds!" A heavily accented voice came from behind them, sending them jolting apart.

  
Jester was standing on the sidewalk behind them, hands clasped against each other pressed to the side of her face.

  
"How sweet!"

  
Caleb almost felt ashamed. To be caught in public kissing another man. Caught in a situation he had spent most of his life being taught to hate. But there was a rumble of deep laughter from Fjord that eased every negative thought from his mind and left him feeling warm. Fjord simply looked at Jester with a loving yet incredulous shake of the head, turning back to Caleb.

  
"I'll leave you two alone! Just letting Caleb know that he is welcome back anytime." She gave an over-exaggerated wink as she scampered back inside the cafe.

  
The shorter man actually caught himself chuckling at the situation, which caused Fjord to join in.

  
"I think, in her extremely subtle and in no way obvious manner, Jester may have asked you to go out with me again."

  
The human sighed happily, "I believe so. I wouldn't turn such an invitation down at all."  
They shared a smile, continuing to walk back to their cars.

  
"You won't regret it." A soft voice murmured by his ear.

  
Later, the events of the night played on repeat as Caleb went to sleep in a bed that felt somewhat empty for the first time in forever.


	6. A Daydream Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning, the entire first part is just smut, cut to the part after the break if you want to avoid that. This chapter is basically Caleb finding happiness because he fucking deserves it okay.

It had been a while since Caleb had been able to take a long shower, either too busy or too tired. However, with his morning class being bumped two hours back (thanks to Professor Wilde) he was able to finally take in the somewhat warm spray of his shower. The water immediately alleviated the tension between his shoulders, regardless of the low water pressure. As he washed up, he couldn't help but bring back thoughts of Fjord. He had been perfect, so sweet the entire night. He had even asked for a kiss. Caleb's fingertips softly touched his lips, remembering the feeling warmly. His mind wandered to thoughts of where else those lips would feel soft; the idea rushing down to his groin. Part of him felt awful thinking about Fjord like that; the part of him still trained to hate his own sexuality. The other part lavished in the thought of soft yet firm, large hands on him. The feeling of Fjord breathing against his neck as he kissed him there, turning pale white skin a bright red. He allowed his own hands to roam his body, almost gasping when shocks were sent through his body as he brushed over a nipple. It had been a while since he even allowed himself to think about someone else, and the way his cock stood already flush against his stomach was a testament to that.

  
Carefully, he wrapped a hand around himself, imagining a much larger grasp. He thought of the sweet way Fjord looked at him, the words of encouragement as he stroked himself. The way those praises dripped from his mouth, Caleb imagined Fjord coaxing him closer to the edge. It was almost too much all at once, and he had to bite down on the side of his finger to keep from making a sound as he came. The human kept stroking himself until near over-sensitivity, legs shaking as he washed up once more.

  
Caleb looked at the clock tentatively as he got out. He still had some time to get to class, though eager now to be there already. He was so distracted in the new feelings of happiness, he didn't even realize the familiar feeling of shame was gone.

* * *

 

  
As the weeks went on, Caleb found his mood brightening as he went out more and more with Fjord and the little group he now called friends. His nightmares had been fading away, leaving him dreamless and well rested. He didn't know if it was only because of Fjord, or if the entire group was making him feel more like a person again. Nevertheless, he had learned a lot about them as people, Fjord especially. He had learned the man actually managed A Work In Progress. It was a strange story of how he started out working on a ship, but for some reason realized it wasn't for him and started his music career. Caleb still wasn't sure why he had been taking classes if he already knew so much, the other man would change subjects when he asked.

He had no family to speak of, living by himself in the small apartment he rented off campus. Caleb had been there a few times after the shows. They still had taken things slowly, as if Fjord could sense Caleb's tension and nerves, but that didn't mean their evenings didn't occasionally end in pizza and movies on the couch. Life had become more bright and colorful to Caleb. It was similar to how the world seemed when he played music, each person a melody in his life that came together to paint the world from the gray it had been. He knew he wouldn't trade anything to go back to life as it had been, grateful for the changes he had been given.

* * *

 

Another Thursday brought Caleb to The Nestled Nook again that month, excited to see A Work in Progress (which they really needed to work on that name). Halfway through that thought he noticed Jester. She looked jittery as she walked up to him, as if she had something to say. That wasn't the most confidence inspiring sight, he thought anxiously to himself.

  
"Caleb, I am very glad you're here," She started, near wringing her hands as she avoided eye contact.

  
"Something the matter?" He asked cautiously.  
"Well.... We were thinking and our songs are nice, but we were wondering.. if maaaaaybe... you'd want to help us make them better? We were hoping, well... uhhh- we were wondering- Oh screw it! Will you join the band?" She looked up, hopeful.

  
Caleb stood stunned for a moment. It had been so long since he had been on stage, the limelight only bringing hateful words and hurtful names to him when he was younger.

  
Behind the hesitation there was no fear, for he did not fear his friends. Jester had punched an asshole at the bar that had complained about Fjord and him holding hands once. Molly had gotten drunk and explained in a thick accent their entire life story while crying on his shoulder, which Caleb had only minimally understood while still comforting the affectionate tiefling. He had held Yasha's hair back when she drank too much tequila after Beau tried to talk to her and she was too nervous to reveal her feelings. He knew these people. He had no fear.

  
After this moment of consideration, he smiled.  
"Ja, of course I'll join!"

  
His reply was met with raucous excitement from the rest of the group, and a certain pair of strong arms around his waist that were pulling him into an embrace.

  
"You're going to be amazing, darlin'." Fjord whispered close to his ear, and not for the first time, he saw this world in brighter colors than he had ever thought possible.


End file.
